Fine Line
by dragonfly360
Summary: If he was honest, he'd never actually thought about what would happen after bringing Sasuke back. Nor about what he'd do. What to say. How their first real conversation in years would pan out... NaruSasu. One-shot, post Shippuuden.


Basically, this is a humorous one-shot of Naruto's thoughts(several years onwards). Somehow I managed to fit in some angst, too. Some Sasuke bashing here and there. Okay, lots of Sasuke bashing. SasuNaru. Er, I refer to them as brothers but hmmm...the end... Anyway, enjoy.

Warning: Spoilers, angst, yaoi(if you don't like, **don't read**! Honestly!)...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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I had never thought about what would happen after I had brought Sasuke back. That was unimportant. The important thing was to get him back. I had always counted on Sasuke having come to his senses and realising, once he was back _home_, that it was where he should be. Now I'm not sure wether I was the stupid one or if it was him.

We were both so focused on our tasks, we didn't want to think...no, we wouldn't accept any other possible outcome. The way things really were and the way we thought they should be...there was a huge gap in between the two. As for Sasuke, he always thought that it would be different for him. Sure, revenge leaves others empty and without purpose, but not him. Oh no, not him. He's so like me, didn't think past what would happen once he'd killed Itachi. He thought he'd be allowed back into Konoha after being a nuke-nin. And then he gets told some story by a person he never should have trusted, and gets involved with the Akatsuki. For God's sake, Madara helped annihilate his own clan! Sasuke's clan! And suddenly Sasuke was hell bent on razing Konoha to the ground. After he had finished being the Akatsuki's lapdog, that is. All of a sudden **we** are all traitors and criminals, and deserve to be hunted down as revenge for his clan. More revenge. Didn't he think then, 'actually, remember what happened last time? I got what I wanted, and then regretted it'. He thought Itachi was...what he made out to be, and I can't blame him for that. Anyone would hate the guy if they were in his position. But then to want revenge for _him_, for the person you killed with your own hands? I would've thought, 'no, wait, I suck at seeing past my own pre-conceived notions, I should stop making decisions for myself, because I _really _fucking suck at that'...Actually, looking at how stupid I was before, I wouldn't have thought that. But I do now. It's ironic really, we both got what we first wanted, and now we both regret it. Well, I don't.

Yet.

I sigh and look across the table. Sasuke stares back at me, glaring with ice-cold oynx eyes. I roll my own. No change there then.

And you know what's really pissing me off right now?

He won't listen to what anyone says. He only thinks his opinions and choices matter, that his are right, and that we and all our thoughts can go to hell.

I've tried to tell the guy all this, but he _still_ won't listen. So I'm sorely tempted to return that usual and not-so-itimidating-anymore glare with one of my own. And when he leans back, snorts dismissively and crosses his arms, I just _know _he's thinking something degrading...about me. So I do. And he leans back a bit further and blinks in surprise. Then he smirks and I know he's about to say something equally degrading as his thoughts, so I cut in and say curtly,

"This isn't fun and games, Uchiha."

He raises an eyebrow at my use of his last name, instead of the informal 'Sasuke' I used up to...well, up to before he decided to attack my village. _His_ village. His home.

I lost all respect for him then.

"Never said it was."

"Actions speak louder than words." I respond vaguely.

He seems surprised again, lifting both eyebrows this time, at my quoting of...a famous quote.

Flipping open the folder laying infront of me, I examine the reports of what happened during Sasuke's capture. I don't say anything for a long time, just occasionally raising an eyebrow or two, or sighing very quietly.

"Dobe."

I glance upwards, chin still resting on the bottom of my palm, elbow on the table.

"What?"

He frowns, obviously expecting a 'Teme!' in return.

"That file is for Anbu personnel."

"I know."

Honestly, hasn't he figured it out already?

"Won't you be in alot of trouble if you're caught reading it then, Usuratonkachi?"

I shrug. "Not really."

He raises another eyebrow.

I wonder wether I should slowly let him figure it out on his own, without giving any hints, or if I should tell him now, and smother him with information so his brain overloads.

...The latter sounds much more amusing.

But either way, I'm still looking forward to the expression of his face when he does finally figure it out.

"What are you doing here?"

I look up again, closing the folder and pushing it to the side.

"Because if I wasn't here you'd probably think I was dead."

He face remains calm, but I can tell he's reeling from the fact that, one, I (still)haven't shouted, two, I'm saying rational and veritable things, and three, making very good points. Oh, and I haven't started asking loads of questions, or attacked him, or generally acted really hyper and loud.

He tilts his head a bit.

"What rank are you now, dead last?"

A vicious grin slowly takes over my face, startling him.

This is going to be _fun_.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

He snorts.

"And why wouldn't I? You're probably embarrassed because you're still a Genin or something equally pathetic."

"You're still a Genin."

I point out, lazily leaning back in my chair and resting my arms behind me head, looking up at the ceiling.

"That's because I wasn't here to take the exams."

He says calmly.

"For two years, neither was I."

"Even so you're still a Genin after five years."

His condescending tone makes the message clear. _That's lame. You're so weak._

"Nope."

"Congratulations on making Chuunin."

I just smile. "It's a bit late but better than nothing."

He blinks before smirking again.

"Of course, you made Chuunin a while ago but haven't been able to make jounin."

I sigh. "I'm getting quite tired of your insults."

He smirks wider. "So?"

I stare at him contemplatingly, before reaching from my bag and getting the ridiculous hat out and resting it on the table.

"What...?"

I wait patiently but it seems he's entirely speechless so, silently guffawing at the look on his face, I decide to answer the probable first question. Someone else would say that I had borrowed it, but that's entirely impossible, no-one would _dare_ steal from _her_.

"Well, if you were going to ask, I made Chuunin just after I got back from trying vainly to beat some sense into you, at fifteen, made anbu just after my sixteenth birthday only a few months after that, was made captain six months after that, and I've been Hokage two years..."

"I don't believe you."

I smile slightly and lean forward, folding my arms and resting them on the table.

"Think about it. Why else would I be allowed in here by myself?"

He looks down at the table, frowning.

"...Why didn't I know...?"

"Why did you need to? Makes no difference."

I say sharply, and suddenly I'm looking at confused and slightly sad eyes.

"It does..."

"Oh really? And why is that?"

"Because... because you fufilled your dream." He mutters, looking down at the table. I know anyone else would've added an 'okay?' at the end, but it doesn't suit Sasuke to even mutter something.

"And? So did you."

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You just wished you hadn't afterwards."

He doesn't say anything, not wanting to admit that he feels - especially regret, and even more so about this.

I sigh, and it sounds almost like a groan, and I rest my head on my arms.

"What exactly did you think would happen after you killed Itachi?"

"That...that I would come back to Konoha to rebuild my clan."

"And that's where you went wrong." My voice becomes hard, cold, detached, and it reminds me of _his_ that day five years ago.

"Did you think that after defecting; fighting and almost killing me; going to be a subordinate for an S-class criminal, one of our worst enemies; and learing his jutsu, forbidden jutsu, that we would welcome you back with open arms? And they call you a genius. You haven't changed at all, have you Uchiha? Are you still so _blind_!? So selfish, so self-obsessed, so ignorant and so...so goddamn stupid!? Because I think you are! I think you'll continue to make the shittest decisions when you have so many options! You never look underneath the underneath, you never see past yourself, or your judgements or your dreams and you think that everything will work out for you and that nothing requires effort! You act like such a _child_, deciding be petty because you didn't get what you wanted! Because you're _Sasuke_, you're an _Uchiha_, you never do anything wrong! Even if you desert people who care for you, thinking only of revenge and yourself! You obviously thought everyone would wait for you to come back, for however long it takes, because you're worth it...And guess what?" I lift my head and look at him, breathing heavily from shouting so much. His face is still apathetic and his eyes guarded but I can tell he's surprised.

"You're not. Everyone has given up on you. You took to long, and there's only so much we're willing to do. And I know," I stand up, getting the hat and picking up my bag, "I know that's not the way it's supposed to be. But that's the way it is."

I turn and head for the door, suddenly stopping and looking down, wanting to clench my fists.

"I'm sorry."

The quiet whisper, an apology I'd never thought it get, makes me want to cry. It makes me want to suddenly act like a pre-teen again, loud and hyper and innocent, so that maybe...just maybe we'd be able to start again. It makes me want to turn back and run at him, saying it's okay as I embrace him like the brother I was. It makes me want to forget everything and take back what I said.

But I don't.

Because what I said is the truth.

"For?"

"For everything I did. I'm sorry...that everything changed."

"...Apology accepted."

I reply quietly.

"Thank...you."

I start moving again, arriving at the door and placing my free hand on the frame, turning my head a bit, but not enough to see him properly. "Sasuke, _I_ might be able to forgive you, but the others..."

I don't like the way his name feels good to say... I don't like remembering.

"I know Naruto...I know."

I look back at the door. Hearing his deep voice sound so humbled, so regretful...so _guilty_.

"...Do you?"

"Yes, I do now."

"Then maybe things will be able to change back."

I turn for just a second, just to look at him before I go, and I see the mask still in place, but hope showing through eyes I've learned to read. I look down. "I still think of you as my brother, and I probably always will."

"Dobe..."

"Yes Teme?" I look up in time to see a small flashing smile, which is quickly covered over again, but I see some nervousness in Sasuke's eyes. This worries me but I don't let it show. Sasuke, nervous? What could possib...

"I love you."

I want to speak, but I know that even if I try the words would get stuck in my throat. So I...I do what I had secretly wanted to since I first came in. I drop the bag and the hat, and I walk quickly around the table. Throwing my arms around him, I fall to my knees, the tears finally escaping as I clutch onto him.

"D-Dobe?"

"Uh...huh?"

"Why are you crying?" He whispers, as if saying it quietly makes it better.

"I-It's just...it's just that...that's what I always w-wanted to hear!"

I bury my face into his neck, feeling extremely grateful for the fact that I had asked for the guards outside to leave, and put up a barrier in the room that prevented anyone to see or hear what was going on inside, saying that I wanted a private talk. Well, I didn't say it in so many words, but tey had to do it anyway.

No-one would be comforted in the knowledge that their Hokage was using a nuke-nin's shoulder to cry on.

"You love me too?"

I nod.

A warm hand tentatively comes to rest on my face, moving quite slowly to lift my head up. I blink as Sasuke frowns, using his other hand to wipe away my tears. I blink again as he closes his eyes and quickly covers my lips with his own. He pulls away after only a second, looking at me, his eyes hesitant and gauging and...a little be fearful.

Both of my hands come up in a spilt second, and I grab his face and bring it down again.

I know then that nothing will ever be the same after this.

I feel Sasuke smirk into the kiss as I lick his bottom lip, and again when he wins the battle between our tongues.

And I don't care if it's love or lust making me unlock his cuffs and move him onto the table.

...Because it feels so _right_.

WWWWWWWWWW

I'm not sure exactly where this came from, or when I started writing it, but I think it turned out okay(well, I still think that Sasuke is far too OOC, especially at the end, but I really couldn't think of any other way for it to end the way it did). Woot! My first yaoi fanfic!

...Reviews?


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